how does this Perkins sound?

[Croatian Sailing]

how does this Perkins sound?

[SYJetzt]

As far as i can hear the engine is doing fine, no need to bleed the injectors.
I would not touch the idle revs, if the gear is shifting smooth and does not kill the engine occasionally when shifting.
Higher idle revs  will stress your gearbox more than lower revs when shifting.
I increased the idle revs on my engine (D2-75/SD150), causing scratching gearwheels when shifting, so i came back to the lower revs.

[Yngmar]

The saildrive and gearbox are one unit and share the oil, so there isn't another oil reservoir. I'm not sure what you mean by vacuum valve to clean, a crankcase breather valve?

The gear lever can benefit from fresh grease and can be a cause for things going hard, but it can equally well be the control cables. I'd look at this sooner than later, as a snapped off control cable (and they always snap off while maneouvering in tight spaces) can create real havoc. It's quick and easy to take them off the engine and gearbox and check if they're still going hard then. It's rare for the gearbox to be the problem.

[SYJetzt]

Don't know the type of your throttle lever, but there are some makes which have a friction adjustment screw, but i agree with Yngmar to check the control cables first.

[tiger79]

Does the D1-20 attached with the S130-B sail drive have a reverse gear oil that needs changed and a vacuum valve that needs cleaned?

There should be a vacuum valve on the cooling water inlet hose.  It will be mounted high up, above the water line, with flow and return hoses attached.  It's worth checking the valve is clean periodically.  Here's a pic of the valve on my D1-30.

[tiger79]

Have you ever opened up the heat exchanger on the D1-30? I am really wanting to check it because the former owner was saying engine gets a bit hot under power into the wind. Was thinking the heat exchanger was never serviced since 2007 (no idea if it has been) and/ or the coolant reserve/ expansion box might need to be mounted higher up. I'd really like to make sure the heat exchanger is clean because that looks like the biggest restriction in the system and it's scheduled service for 500 hours (boat has 690). Are their any guides on doing the heat exchanger job?

Cheers and thank you!

I've never touched the heat exchanger, but my engine has only done about 300 hours. 

I'd expect the engine to run hotter if it's working harder.  As long as the high temperature alarm isn't triggered, I wouldn't worry.

None of the service schedules I've seen for the D1 engine mention the heat exchanger, so I'm a bit surprised you've seen somewhere that it ought to be checked at 500 hours.

[symphony2]

Perhaps more important to inspect the exhaust elbow. 690 hours in 15 years is less than 50 hours a year which is what boat engines do not like - short runs at light loads and long periods idle. The exhaust elbow cokes up with unburned fuel closing up the passage way and one of the symptoms is running hot at high loads. The heat exchanger may well also be partially blocked with deposits and maybe bits of water pump impeller.

So definitely worth taking the exhaust elbow off and the end cover off the HE to inspect the tubes. If the elbow needs replacing then it is worth buying an aftermarket stainless one rather than the cast iron Volvo one.

[Yngmar]

You mentioned it's quick and easy to take them off the engine and gearbox and check if they're still going hard. Can you clarify the steps/ process and what you meant? You mean dismount them and then check to see how the throttle handle feels?

Yes, disconnect the control cables from engine and gearbox and then you can a) move the throttle lever and see if it still goes hard, and if it's the gearbox, the engine throttle or both cables. And you can also move the gear arm on the gearbox by hand to see if how hard that goes. And the throttle on the engine, but that should never be difficult